Common Mistakes That Cost Half a Band

The difference between Band 6.5 and Band 7.0 is often not about what you know — it is about what you do wrong. This lesson catalogues the most common errors across all four papers, explains why they cost marks, and provides specific fixes.

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Listening Mistakes

1. Not Reading Questions During Preview Time

The mistake: Waiting for the audio to start before looking at the questions. Why it costs marks: You have no idea what to listen for, so you hear the information but do not recognise it as an answer. The fix: Use every second of preview time to read questions, underline keywords, and predict answer types.

2. Dwelling on Missed Answers

The mistake: Continuing to think about a question you missed while the next question is being played. Why it costs marks: You miss the answer to the next question — now you have lost two marks instead of one. The fix: If you miss an answer, write a quick guess immediately and redirect your attention to the next question.

3. Spelling Errors